Sacrifice
by Mist and Blood
Summary: Forced as a sacrifice, Isabella Swan must give up her blood and marry Prince Edward Cullen in order to stop a raging war between both clans. On the night of their mating ritual, she ingest poison in hopes of committing suicide in order to assassinate the prince when he takes a draw out of her blood... A/U
1. Sacrifice

**** Disclaimer-**

**I do not claim any rights to the characters, or references made in this story. All credits go to the author of the Twilight series - Stephanie Meyer.**

**However, I do claim the rights to the storyline of this story and any additional characters aside from the ones feature in Twilight as mine. **

**Sacrifice contains mature adult content that is not suitable for anyone under 18. Please be aware. ****If dark romance, angst and sex scenes disturb you, please do not read. **

**Other than that, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy reading. Please leave reviews, because every writer knows.. Feedback is the fuel and inspiration that keeps us going! **

**Thank you.**

**** YAY! I FINALLY GOT THIS CHAPTER BETA ... THANK YOU ALEX P ! :)  
**

* * *

**Prologue**

Dreary echoes of faint chatters could be heard resonating off various drunken men and women below. Beyond the closed bedroom doors of a dimly lit room, crystal wine glasses filled with blood laced liquor met the regal lips of 200 attendees, all gathered in stressed unison on a chilly crescent moon of a cloudy November sky.

Tonight, they feast, they drink and they _sacrifice_ for the celebration of Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan.

Just one week prior, the hasty decision was made and finalized between both delegates of each houses in hopes of bringing truce to the _Crusade_ once and for all. Over the last two centuries, a raging war between the stone carved caves of the Undead and the surrounding rivers of Mystics has brought nothing but endless nights of gruesome deaths and bloodshed throughout the lands. The war was a ghastly battle between earth and water over the grounds of Volterra, hatred raging generation after generation of bloodlines. It was a fight for territory, power, and revenge for lost loved ones between these two natural elements of life- earth, and water -_vampires, and their peacekeepers_.

Times gone by, these two elements once originated from the heavens above as gifts endowed to the universe, both meant to exist harmoniously in unison as the foundation of good and bad among the Volturi natives. The vampires were cast to rule the lands, granted with the permission to procreate and establish life among the planes of Volterra. Whereas, the Mystics were peacekeepers, guardian angels sent by the Heavens above in order to ensure that there was peace throughout the lands. The Mystics provided the Vampires with ancient, purified blood, and in return, the Vampires kept the Mystic's life source alive by allowing themselves and their offspring to be tamed of their hunting instincts by cleansing in the holy Mystic waters running throughout the borders of the land.

The Gods had destined that both species drew life from one another, for neither shall live if the other dies.

However, through decades of corruption, scandals and treachery among the rulers of both species, the once united kingdom of Volterra began to fall apart. Hatred was formed, resulting in blood vendettas that lasted for two centuries, leaving not even the sparing the unborn.

Countless innocent lives were taken as a result of this deadly Crusade, and over the expansion of thousands of years, the lost souls of victims and unaccounted deaths began to rise, disrupting the balance of Heaven and Hell itself. There were those born innocent that were forced to kill among the evil, sinning their hands in blood, growing more and more evil with each kill. Whereas those already evil fell deeper into the heaves of darkness, tarnishing their already diminishing souls into becoming a foul entity of their own.

Alas, the Gods came to a decision and signaled their commands in order to end this Crusade once and for all. In the shadow filled depths of the Volterra mountains, and the murky castle beneath Mystic waters, enchanted flames engulfed the temples of the imperial grounds. Once extinguished, the ashes formed the inescapable terms that neither side dared to violate.

* * *

_**Three thousand four hundred fifty six. Three thousand four hundred fifty seven.**_

It had been almost an hour that Isabella sat waiting, rigidly perched on top of oxblood satin sheets, counting the flicker of the flame of a lonesome candle resting on top of the dresser across from the bed. She studied the single flame with impassive interest as it swept left and right, casting eerie shadows upon the vacant room with each draft of air that blew through the half open window.

Her pale fingers gripped tightly on to the soft white lace of her dress. Each hand was skillfully woven in expensive material. Interlacing patterns meant to be adorned only by the highest ranking nobles of Mystic standards.

Earlier in the night, she arrived alone at the caves of Volterra wearing only a singular teardrop pendant, naked and draped in sacred angel feathers, as is custom of her people during ritual marriage sacrifice. She laid face up and immobile on a crystallized platform, her russet hair cascading downwards gracefully along one side of the platform's edge. She was heaved forward into the cave's opening by the enchanted power of flowing mist and water. From there, half a dozen _deus_, vampire slaves, escorted her to an underground bathing chamber where she was immediately serviced to a bath. Then they dressed her in a revealing lace halter dress, the Volturi's version of a wedding dress. It had been an unbearable experience, almost painful to say the least. She recalled helplessly standing there like a puppet, staring lifelessly into the cave wall, unable to move as the many servants prepared her in every way.

Upon finishing, they guided her through a narrow hallway leading into a singular bedroom chamber. They sat her on top of the large bed, and then without another glance, quickly scurried away.

Isabella waited until she was finally alone for the perfect opportunity to do what she knew was her only way out of this dreadful destiny. She reached for the water crystal pendant chained around her neck and without a second thought, snapped it in half. The pendant revealed a fine white powder, the most toxic poison from the water lilies of her Mystic land. She wasted no time ingesting the substance into her body and closed her eyes with bitter relief. Finally her mission was finished, for by the break of dawn, she would have successfully accomplished her assassination. Come sunrise, she would die along with her future husband, Prince Edward Cullen.

Now all Isabella had to do was sit patiently and wait. It had been over an hour since she ingested the poison and if her calculations were correct, the substance should be well on its way through her bloodstream by now. She slowly began to feel faint, her heartbeat rapidly slowing as her vision began to blur. Isabella had to steady herself by leaning against the bedpost in order to keep herself from collapsing.

If this vampire took any more time, she was afraid she would not make it on time to see her mission through.

At that exact moment, the bedroom doors swung opened allowing a gush of icy cold, stale air to rush into the room. At last, the immortal prince had come.

* * *

Prince Edward Cullen stood in front of the bedroom door, debating on whether or not he should go in. He had spent a majority of the night drinking his mind away, pointlessly mingling with drunken guests in order to prolong this inevitable moment when he must see _her_.

Everything had happened so rapidly that he did not have time to register his appalling situation. Tonight was the night he was forced to sacrifice his freedom and wed his clan's ultimate adversary- a royal Mystic princess he had never seen, spoken to, or knew anything about.

Edward cringed at the prospect of having to spend eternity with her, and the thought of having to drink from her in mere moments made him sick to his stomach. How did he get himself into this situation and why were the Gods punishing _him_, of all people, in order to diminish this war?

He glanced over at the corner of the room and saw her sitting on top of _his_ bed, her back to him. He briefly noted long tendrils of curled hair entwined with strands of gemstones cascading down her small frame. She sat rigidly still staring aimlessly at the wall before her, showing no signs of acknowledging that he was there.

Edward walked quietly into the bedroom and closed the stone doors behind him. He set his glass of blood wine onto the dresser next to the door and made his way to the window where he draped his cloak on a hook. He turned back to stare at her and debated whether or not he should make a run for it through the window. _Freedom is so close, yet so far away._

With a heavy sigh, he hesitantly walked across to his 'bride', his heavy foot steps echoing soft thumps throughout the room. With a steady hand, he placed it on her shoulder in order to catch her attention.

A startled gasp escaped Isabella's lips as she jerked away and met his blood shot eyes. Prince Edward hovered over her, in all of his royal crimson glamor. He had tussled chestnut hair that brushed slightly over his forehead, a defined jaw line and snow white skin.

Isabella shot up and began to anxiously back herself away from him until her back met with the cold chamber wall. The room began to spin from the poison circulating in her system, forcing her to place both of her palms flat against the wall in order to steady herself from falling over.

Fear crept through her dark brown eyes as she stood there, staring guardedly at him, helpless with no where to go.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Edward said as he slowly put both of his hands up in front of him in order to show her he had no intentions of coming any closer.

Edward definitely had not expected her to respond this way. He knew she was afraid, being forced to come alone into the enemy's clan to live forever among the species she was born and bred to hate. He understood, like him, she had no choice in this arrangement what-so-ever.

He had thought to get her attention earlier, and then civilly conversed with her his plans to make their marriage arrangement as manageable as possible for both sides. However upon seeing him, she quickly backed away in fear, and now looks as if she would faint at any moment. Her face was devoid of all color, and her lips were ghostly pale. She was breathing heavily and Edward's sharpened senses could feel the terror resonating off her chest.

With a small step forward, Edward said, "Look, if you are this afraid of me now, it wont be easy for you later on. I really just want to get this ceremony over with."

Isabella shook her head rapidly as if she did not understand him. She placed one hand in front of her in defense to signal him not to come any closer. With her other hand as a guide, she began to inch herself slowly towards the left side of the room, aiming towards the bedroom door.

Edward scowled. He detested how she reacted to him with such fear, as if he was the one forcing her to wed him. Edward was in no hurry to get married any time soon, and if he had to, he knew exactly who he wanted his eternal bride to be. _Jessica-now I will never know how it feels to taste your sweet, heavenly lips. _

With a frustrated sigh, he turned away from her and walked towards the dresser to grab his glass of wine.

"Fine. If you want to act this way, then do as you must. But let me remind you that tonight is inevitable. You are not making it easy for either of us."

He drained the remainder of his glass of wine.

Edward set the glass back down and determinedly walked over to her, this time stopping at the edge of the bed. He held out his right arm and motioned for her to take it.

"They are waiting for us in the banquet hall, and everything is set in place. Do not test my patience princess. We do not have much time left before dawn."

Minutes lasted hours as Isabella debated on whether or not she should come to him. The poison in her body had already began to take affect and if she did not act soon, she would have sacrificed herself for nothing. It took Isabella all of her strength to lift herself off of the supporting wall as she hesitantly took a step forward towards Edward's arm. The poison running through her veins was beginning to cloud her vision even more so. Her hands became clammy and she began to sweat slightly as a fever spread throughout her body. Before she was able to steady herself, she lost her balance and stumbled forward towards the ground.

At that moment, Edward reached out to catch her fall, his deadly cold palms touched her heated skin for the very fist time, sending chills throughout her body. Unwillingly, she leaned into him for support.

"I've got you princess," he whispered, "I told you not to fear me. I'm not going to hurt you. "

* * *

They walked silently towards the banquet hall with her left arm wrapped tightly around his. With each stride, Isabella had to use all of her strength in order to not collapse. He supported her into the noisy, crowded banquet room, oblivious of the poison that was slowly killing her.

In his mind, he believed that she was simply so terrified, she was unable to function on her own.

Upon their arrival, the deafening chatters among the two-hundred some vampires in the crowded room came to an abrupt stop. All eyes laid upon them as Edward nodded to a couple standing just beyond the far right side of the banquet room.

With a nod back in return, Carlisle Cullen raised his ruby encrusted goblet into the air and soon after that, everyone followed suit. Without uttering a single word, the crowd began to promptly part ways in two separate directions, creating a walkway that revealed a raised dais in the dead center of the room. The dais was made of old tarnished wood, with four blazing torches placed at each corner of the stage. Tea light candles surrounded the platform.

As soon as Edward took a step forward towards the stage, they began to slowly chant in unison in the ancient tongue of the Volturi natives.

_Vi la vi che ses se... Di la vai che ses sa… Di la ve che!_

Bella instantly froze, panic threatening to engulf every ounce of control she had left in her body. Here she was in a room full of vampires, the Mystic's immortal enemies that slaughtered her ancestors and people for thousands of years.

Edward tightened his hold on her arm and had to pull her slightly to follow him. Now is not the right time for her to resist. If she continued to persist, he could lose control of his sense and harm her greatly.

He led her in front of the platform and without warning, released his grip and picked her up into his arms. Isabella wanted to protest but his sudden movement momentarily made her spinning head jerk and she briefly blacked out. The side of her head fell upon his chest. Within seconds when she regained awareness of her surroundings. Isabella found herself laying on top of the hard dais ground with Edward kneeling beside her starring intently down at her.

He gazed at her with haunting red eyes, the flames from the torches casting dark, frightening shadows upon his face. At that moment, his primal instinct burst to life as an animalistic, menacing look spread over his face. He slowly curled his upper lip, baring sharp, lethal fangs. The reality of what came next hit Isabella hard as she closed her eyes, unable to hold his gaze any longer. She knew that within mere minutes, his fangs would pierce her neck. And from the moment Edward draws her blood to his lips, the poison from her body will surely spread onto him and paralyze him as it had already began doing to her. By the break of dawn, death will consume them both.

Edward allowed himself to be lost in the hypnotic chant of his ancient people, the instinct to bite overwhelming his senses. All had changed the moment he began to walk the princess down the aisle as the words of his people entranced him with the primitive instinct to hunt.

_All will be over soon_- He reminded himself just before he shut down his restraint and allowed himself to be lost in their spellbinding words.

He could not take his eyes off the pounding pulse on her neck as he bared his growing fangs, ready to strike at any moment. The crowd began to increase their chanting louder and louder. With each moment that passed, Edward's fangs ached to puncture her skin and draw in her savory blood, eternally binding them together.

Edward closed his eyes and leaned down, resting both his hands on either side of her head. He inhaled her intoxicating scent, a sweet mixture of mist and rain that reminded him of her true nature.

He, Prince Edward Cullen of the Volturi was about to bind himself _eternally_ to Isabella Swan, a sworn enemy- the aquatic princess of Mystic Rivers.


	2. Poison

**Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback. It takes a writer days (well, me at least) and sometimes even weeks just to write a few pages. There is a lot of thought and process put into making a story perfect and for me, it is definitely a work in progress. I sincerely appreciate those who took 2 minutes out of their day to review my story! I welcome the reviews with a big smile on my face. It seriously makes writing ten times more enjoyable knowing others are reading it! :)**

**Thanks again!  
**

**Enough of my rambling... here's _Poison_. Enjoy!  
**

**PS- My two betas have final exams this week. Please excuse any errors until next chapter. Hopefully everything will be fixed by then! :)  
**

_Edward closed his eyes and leaned down, resting both his hands on either side of her forehead. He inhaled in her intoxicating scent, a sweet mixture of mist and rain that reminded him of her true , Prince Edward Cullen of the Volturi vampire was about to bind himself eternally to Isabella Swan, a sworn enemy- the aquatic princess of Mystic Rivers. -_

* * *

Two hundred pairs of chilling scarlet eyes bore intently at Edward as he knelt possessively over Isabella. Both of his muscular arms were extended on each side of her head, firmly supporting him mere inches above her face. The tip of his nose bridge brushed slightly against hers and his golden chestnut hair fell gently across her moist forehead. She tightly squeezed her eyes upon the contact. The movement causing faint lines of worry etching along the corners of her distressed face. Her soft lips, now more pale than ever before, was pressed thinly into a rigid line. With a barely audible sound, a weak whimper escaped her lips as she began to squirm under his pressure.

In order to keep her in place, Edward had to shift his right knee over to the other side of her waist, straddling her securely beneath him. She made a sound of protest and opened her mouth as if to say something to him, but after many failed attempts, was only able to groaned out "_Ple.—ple-please.." _

Warm tears began to slowly seep through the corners of her closed eyes as she shook her head in protest.

"_H-hurts."_

Through gritted teeth, he took a sharp, painful intake of air as he rested his now damp forehead on top of hers. He closed his eyes momentarily as the agony of what he must do next overwhelmed him. Resisting every urge to not sink his fangs into her right now was more than he can take. He must get this over with as soon as possible before he looses himself completely in his blood-lust and drain her dry.

_These damn chantings won't stop. _

With a low growl, he hoarsely whispered through clenched teeth into her right ear _"Stop resisting me before I am forced to bind you." _

_My fangs are beginning to ache so much… Must ease this pain. Now. _If he had a choice to stop what he was about to do, by the Gods, he would release her immediately and ensured she never set foot back onto the Volturi Mountains again. The act of _blooding_ was a sacred, intimate ritual meant to be shared between a vampire and his mate only—two mates passionately in _love_. If compatible, the pleasures it invokes would be mind-blowing. Addictive even. Never in his 100 some years of existence did he ever imagined himself _blooding _for the very first time with a woman he knew nothing about.

Especially one he did not love and was not loved by her in return.

Tenderly, he stroked a single tear drop slipping down the rounds of her hallow cheek with his inner thumb, wooing the touch to gave her some sort of comfort.

"_Nn-no…," _she weakly whispered as she turned her head the other way, rejecting his offer.

For a moment, he stared at her wondering if he should continue. Should he just stop everything he is doing and defy his responsibilities to the kingdom? Could he oppose the commands of the Gods by releasing her back into her Mystic lands? Surely, there would be dire consequences to his actions, but the Mystic people would be delighted to see their beloved princess safely home once again. If he did this, the penalty of his actions would most likely reflect upon him, along with all of his people. He had an obligation to them as their future king, and a sacrifice for a woman he does not know should not be in comparison to his kingdom. But then again, here she is trapped with no control over her situation what-so-ever, laying helplessly underneath him on top of a sacrificial altar. _In a room full of drunken vampires. _

Sure, he sympathized for her, but was it enough to risk everything?

_And they won't stop chanting…_

He utterly loathe the fact that he was about to invade her body like so, drinking from the very essence of her soul. For once a Volturi drinks directly from the veins of a Mystic; they are bound to each other forever. From now on, he can only drink from her in order to sustain his existence. Where as she, can only channel her energy through him. His thoughts, his dreams, his fears and his reality will all become hers- forever.

_Neither shall live, if the other one dies…_

The hypnotic chants of the surrounding vampires simultaneously increased louder and faster with each passing second. Like the crescendos of beating tribal drums, their magnetic rhythm electrified the energy all around the room.

All Edward could hear was the thumping of her pulse and the shallow panting resonating from her chest. It's irresistible pulsating sound echoed through his eardrums. The heated blood circulating around her pulse called to him, a seductive siren that threaten to captivated his soul. His vampire instinct to bite has never been so strong that he could almost feel the podium shake as he dug his razor sharp claws into the rigid wood. His now white knuckles protruded visibly as he thrust his nails into them, willing his body to not loose any more control.

At that moment, Isabellla's shaking hands reached up to grip the sleeves of his shirt, her body beginning its slow tremors of convulsion. The silhouette of her panting chest raised and fell heavily with each shuddering breathe she struggled to take.

Edward knew it had to be done now. Time was running out and if she begins to break down and resist him even more, he would loose control.

_Because when a vampire in his prime hunts, he craves the resistance. He thrives its when the prey struggles ... and he welcomes having no control... _

The sounds of chanting grew increasingly louder, urging him on.

"Shhh…," he softly coaxed her as he momentarily probed his weight on one elbow. Using his other free hand, he grabbed both of her wrists from his sleeves, pulling it up above her head, pinning them in place. Isabella began to visibly tremble even more, the quakes so powerful he feared she would give out at any moment.

Her tears now became silent sobs as she whimpered even louder into his ears. He changed his leaning weight over to the hand gripping her wrists, and with his now free one, held it beneath the crook of her neck. He drew her slender neck closer to the base of his lips, her head slightly falling backwards along with the rest of her cascading hair.

His razor sharp fangs gleamed under the bright flames. His smoldering eyes, once the color of oxblood, now became infused with a rich blend of honey- a luscious combination of red and golden swirls. His irises flickered into slits as he slowly allowed it to slide back underneath his lids. With an instinctive growl, he gradually dragged his upper lip upwards and readied himself to strike down.

At that exact moment, Isabella burst opened her teary, fear illuminated eyes and instantly made eye contact with his. Chocolate brown clashed against red and golden swirls as she captured his gaze.

There was something strange in the way she looked at him, an almost puzzling combination of desperation and great pain etching through the bottomless depths of her dark brown swirls. _Was she silently begging him for… release?_ Her eyes held his with an almost desperate urgency, pleading him to hurry through with the bite ... A quick end to it all.

_Does she want me to bite her? Readying herself to complete this bond between us?_

The way she writhed and squirmed her body beneath his reminded him of the enemies his armies had many times in the past tortured. The movements in their bodies and look upon their eyes resonated agony and excruciating pain. She was acting as if _she_ was in excruciating pain.

He knew she was afraid, but he did not expect her to be willing and in _pain_.

_What is wrong with her? _

With a dangerous growl and never once breaking eye contact with hers, he dropped his aching fangs down to the fragile nape of her throat, deeply puncturing through various layers of her skin.

On its own accord, his hooded lids grew heavy with pleasure as he rolled his eyes completely upwards, closing them shut.

_Oh yesss…The taste of her blood is luscious...-sublimely intoxicating and incredibly luscious. _

The warm fluid seeped through his lips, torching his taste buds with astonishing flavors of sweet nectar, laced with a tangy metallic aftertaste. He felt power scorching throughout his veins as he hungrily swallowed every drop of her blood, waves after waves of pleasure racking throughout his body. _Mind-blowing ecstasy…_

The bonding process has officially begun, and there is simply no turning back now. Soon, once he's had his fill of her crimson taste, he will also surrender his blood to her- channeling his powers into her veins. Once the process is completed, his powers will be absorbed throughout her body, and hers in his- -_fo__rever._ The ritual was a delicate, slow and invigorating process that will last well over past the break of dawn.

After the blooding is done, the instinct to mate will follow in order to complete the bond. _My essence will be hers for all of eternity. _

Edward slowly released his grip on her wrist and with his free hand cradled the side of her head, entwining his fingers though the soft curls of her hair. He clenched her locks gently as he used his thump supporting her neck to slowly stroke smooth circle against her tender skin. He hoped to provide some form of comforting gesture for her against his brutal invasion of her neck. Her hands immediate lashed onto his as she dug her nails deep into his skin.

They held each other that way for a good ten minutes.

Suddenly, Edward experienced sharp, violent waves of pain elapsing throughout his body. He immediately released his hold on Isabella as both of his hands went straight to grab over his throat. The interior of his body felt as if it was ablaze on fire, burning from his heart to the very tip of his toes. His throat felt as if it was in flames and a million needles repeatedly jabbed his stomach from the inside out. Blood began to slowly seep through the corners of his eyes- black, thick and _smoking_. Edward released an agonized, piercing shriek as he collapsed onto his side and pushed himself away from her. Kneeling on all fours, with both of his hands in front of him, his head swung low, he brutally began to cough blood onto the altar ground.

At that moment, Carlisle Cullen leaped onto the bloody altar and immediately grabbed the back of Edward's neck, pulling it upwards to inspect into his eyes. His wife, Esme, followed suit with tears falling down her worried face.

"SON!" She cried out, as she knelt next to her husband, trying to grab Edward into her arms.

"Stay back! He is poisoned!" Carlisle yelled, as he carefully placed two fingers on Edwards bloodstained lips. By now, the bystanders have started to become frantic. Noise erupted throughout the room as every single one of them began to murmur about what is going on. They inched themselves closer and closer for a better look.

A beautiful female vampire with sun kissed hair pushed through the crowd as she rapidly sprinted up the podium stairs. She had strikingly delicate features- pumped cherry lips and long golden lashes framing the lids of her glistening cerulean eyes. Tears fell in streams down her face as she began to sob right next to Esme.

"My love! How can this be? Please! Please look at me!" She too tried to grab onto him as Carlisle put an arm around Edward's shoulders, barricading him away from the two hysterical women.

He signaled to the guards to bring him a white marble box in which he wasted no time opening. Inside, he revealed a clear, long, slender needle with a crystal water drop pendant attached to the end of it. Carlisle pulled Edward's lip over and with centuries of practice and restraint, carefully poked the needle through his inner bottom lip.

The room became silent again as they awaited the result of what they feared was to come next. After a few unbearable seconds that stretched on like an eternity in hell, he withdrew the needle and immediately, it became black.

_Mystic poison from their infamous lily pads. So deadly and toxic ... it could kill a weak vampire with just 3 drops. _

Carlisle closed his eyes in fear as Esme began to sob into her hands.

"She did it!" Jessica bellowed as she pointed a shaking finger over at Isabella's motionless body. Hysterical and outraged, Jessica's petite fangs began growing sharper and longer as her beautiful ocean blue irises thinned into deadly, menacing slits. She stood up quickly and her vampire hunting instincts began to kick in as she launched herself at Isabella, ready to strike a deadly kill.

"Guards, grab her!" Carlisle yelled, as two vampire guards immediately grabbed Jessica by the shoulders and pulled her backwards in a firm grip.

"She must die for her treachery! That devious bitch!" Jessica hissed, gnashing her fangs towards Isabella's direction.

"You cannot touch her, child. She is seeping poison. If we kill her now, we will not be able to save Edward."

Carlisle signaled to two more guards to heave Isabella's body upwards. They tied heavy brass chains onto each of her wrist and began to yank her limp body up to a kneeling position so that she knelt before him, both of her arms extended upwards in opposite directions.

Her barely conscious head fell inwards towards her chest as Carlisle walked over to her, stopping a few inches away from her face. He bend down and yanked a handful of her hair upwards to look at him. With a powerful stern voice, he asked "What type of poison did you give my son?"

Little by little, Isabella opened her eyes and stared into his, an emotionless look played across her face. She had heard the vampire spoke, yet she was unable to answer. She was in so much pain and at the brink of giving out. She was beginning to slip into darkness and she welcomed it with open arms.

He shook her head forcefully, determined to keep her attention.

"I said what did you give my son, wench!?"

Still, she could not answer. All Isabella could manage to do was stare. Had she really successfully assassinate the Volturi prince? That would mean the Volturi future was in major jeopardy, for there will be no heir. _No heir means no one to govern their clan. My people can finally be safe._ She inwardly grinned at the thought of ensuring an advantage for her people. It brought a sense of accomplishment to her sacrifice. At the least, her death was not futile.

Carlisle released his hold on her hair, throwing his hands away, forcing her head to fall abruptly downwards again. Isabella heaved up a bloody cough as the rapid motion caused her head to spin, and bile rising inside her throat.

"Take her to the dungeons and send word for Alice immediately. We keep this one alive until we figure out a cure. If she doesn't want to talk, then we'll have to force her to do it. "

With an obedient nod, the two standing guards began to drag Isabella's helpless body off the podium.

Edward could hear everything his father was saying albeit his body being in excruciating pain. She had tried to poison him in hopes of killing herself in order to escape an eternity of life with him. He was opposed to the marriage himself, but never did he think about causing harm to her just in order to escape this treaty. The worst he would have done was run away with his beloved Jessica, and she, would be forced to retreat back to her dying lands. Of course, his kingdom would take the plunge for his actions, however, _she_ would not be harmed.

Anger boiled in the back of his mind as he loathe the vulnerable position she has brought him to. _And I was trying to show her kindness. _He clenched his eyes as another wave of pain washed over him. Just before he gave himself into the dark abyss threatening to engulf him, he stole a last glance at the woman who had tried to kill him tonight.

The two made eye contact. Once again, brown eyes clashed against red golden swirls. Edward stared at her with hatred, making sure she did not escape his fearsome gaze. I will get my revenge, Isabella Swan.

A single teardrop rolled down Isabella's eyes as she stared back at Edward. Tonight, sheltered and caring Isabella became a murderer. She knew this will be the last time she ever lay eyes on him again- for he would die and she would follow him. Tonight, she committed the unthinkable and she will have to pay for the act with her life.

'Please forgive me..' She silently pleaded to him. At last, she allowed darkness to take over her once and for all.

* * *

**Aww poor Edward. And Bella's not really getting off on a good start with the Volturi vampires is she? Next chapter, we find our beloved heroine bound and (semi neglected) in the dungeons of Volturi... Jessica, along with all of the other vampires are loathing her now for trying to assassinate the future king. How will she live with the poison in her system? More importantly, how will _Edward_ survive? And then there's the confrontation between Edward and Isabella after the incident.. It will be a heated one, full of agony and anguish! ... I'll have chapter 3 posted soon! Goodbye! 3  
**


	3. UPDATE!

**T**u**esday, July 14, 2013**

Hi everyone!

First and foremost, I would like to say I am SOOOOO SORRY for not updating.

I mean this with all of my heart. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorryyy!

I wrote this story back in November 2012 and two chapters later ended up having a horrible writer's block! I honestly did not know how I was going to go about it after Chapter 2 and even though I had ideas in mind, the writing portion of it was very difficult for me. I didn't like the way I wrote the story, and therefore, kept reediting it until I got flustered.

But please rest assured, I check on my story all of the time. I have all intentions of finishing what I started! I'd hate to be the type of author that doesn't finish their stories. I've had so many bad experiences being consumed by a story and waiting for its update just to have the author fail on me and never finish it.

Thank you again for all of the kind reviews, I mean it from the bottom of my heart! I have chapter 3 ready and I am just finishing up the editing portion of it. (My grammar is horrible lol :P ). I will have it up by tonight! Promise!


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